Lewis Needed Knee Surgery? Sure Enough

Published at 1:01 PM CDT on Oct 19, 2015

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ARLINGTON, TX - OCTOBER 3: Colby Lewis #48 of the Texas Rangers throws in the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Rangers Global Life Park in Arlington on October 3, 2015 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Rick Yeatts/Getty Images)

Colby Lewis was a big part of the glue that held the Texas Rangers' pitching staff together early in the 2015 season before they got reinforcements and straightened things out in midseason.

The veteran righty led the Rangers in innings pitched with a personal career high of 204 2/3 innings, and he led them with a career-high 17 wins. He got a ton of run support and probably lucked out given his pretty pedestrian ERA of 4.66, but he worked through everything and gave the Rangers innings.

On Friday during his end-of-season press conference, Rangers GM Jon Daniels let people in on the fact that, earlier that day, Lewis had knee surgery to repair torn meniscus in his left knee, an injury he'd played much of the season's second half with.

Lewis actually posted better numbers in the second half than the first, though he was pretty steady throughout the season. He had a 4.53 ERA in the second half compared to a 4.77 at the break, and his record was one game better over the second half than the first.

It's unclear what the Rangers' plans are for Lewis, who is a free agent this winter, but if his time in Texas is finished, he's going to go down as one of the most beloved Rangers in this recent era of success and might find himself in the Rangers' Hall of Fame one day.